Home » Anna Ortiz » Recent Articles:

Middaugh, Ortiz Win Vail Winter Uphill

February 26, 2010 Run No Comments

Courtesy of Vail Athletic Club

Josiah Middaugh of Edwards won the Vail Winter Uphill race, posting a time of 37:42 for the two-mile, 2,000-vertical-foot course. Middaugh, a top-ranked off-road triathlon racer and past national champion in snowshoeing, had knee surgery in early November and obviously is doing well in recovery. Anita Ortiz, a multi-time national mountain running champion, was the fastest woman up the course, finishing in fourth overall with a time of 42:30. Ortiz was last year’s USATF ultra runner of the year in the master’s division.

Click here to see all the results (box in lower left of the page) and photos from the Vail Winter Uphill.

Runners of the Year

November 25, 2009 Run No Comments
brandysteamboat

Brandy Erholtz

Three Colorado women have been named mountain or ultra Runner of the Year by the Mountain/Ultra/Trail Running Council of USA Track & Field: Brandy Erholtz from Bailey (Mountain Women–Open); Laura Haefeli of Del Norte (Mountain Women–Master); and Anita Ortiz of Eagle (Ultra Women–Master). Read the full story…

Join Us…

We welcome stories, photos, video, and cool trip reports. Drop us a line, and we'll get you started.

Supported By…

Recent Comments

  • Steveo: I agree the platte has so much to offer, but Hass, there are going to be a lot of locals looking over your shoulders mak...
  • MoJo: These stories have not been collected in book form, though there is a manuscript. We obtained the manuscript and permiss...
  • MJ: Is this available as a book for purchase anywhere? These are great stories!...
  • Jared Wolney: I skinned, hiked and skied the east face of Peale solo on April 9th. I started hiking and skinning at 7:00, and made it...
  • MoJo: Yes, Dorothy Collier was struck by lightning inside the cabin, but she was not killed. Merrrill Mattes, another Longs Pe...
  • Clare Cone: Was Dorothy struck by lightning up there ? Is that to follow is subsequent stories ? I was just yesterday telling my 9 y...
  • Amelia: Very excited to read these stories! Thanks for publishing them....
  • Wick: Really? Are there THAT many people skiing this route? Its only right off of 550...go in deeper if you don't want to be...
  • Joseph Crotty: Jason, Nice job and congrats on the send! Clearly a labor of love....
  • choss master: always wanted to ski the la sals......

Supported By…

Category RSS Feeds

Climb
Ski
Hike
Run

Supported By…

The News

Forest Service proposes $10 fee for hiking in Sangre de Cristos.... Ridgway guide Heidi Kloos killed in avalanche.... Early-April storms to blanket the mountains.... Lost skiers spend two nights in snow cave.... Coloradans repeat as national ski mountaineering champs.... Roof avalanche smothers two near Creede.... Officials discuss opening Cottonwood Pass in winter to deal with future I-70 stoppages... Snowmobiler killed in big Sawatch avalanche.... Avy that killed snowboarder near A-Basin snapped 6-inch trees... Coloradans strong in ski mountaineering worlds.... Telluride plan for guided backcountry tours raises controversy.

Firsts

A Fine Line on Arrowhead

March 26, 2010

A Fine Line on Arrowhead

Climbers Scotty Nelson and Gil Weiss have discovered (or maybe rediscovered) a great-looking moderate mixed route in Rocky Mountain National Park that might take pressure off overcrowded climbs like Dream Weaver or Martha. The line, which they called Deborah, splits the south face of Arrowhead above the high bench to the west of Black Lake [...]

Shelf Road’s Hardest Route Climbed

March 10, 2010

Shelf Road’s Hardest Route Climbed

Colorado’s Shelf Road , a network of vertical limestone cliffs near Cañon City best known for sunny moderates, has a new 5.13d pitch and may soon get its first 5.14. On Sunday, March 7, Mark Anderson redpointed a striking, super-technical arête at Cactus Cliff that was bolted in the early 1990s but apparently never free-climbed. [...]

New Route Likely Platte’s Hardest

February 14, 2010

New Route Likely Platte’s Hardest

Jason Haas, who’s working on a new guidebook to South Platte rock climbs, has just redpointed what’s likely the Platte’s hardest pitch, a roof seam that’s protected with removable pro and might be 5.14a. The new route, Comprometido, took about a year and a half to complete. Here, Haas tells the story.
While researching routes [...]

Supported By…

Classics

Brain Freeze on Mt. Otis

March 18, 2010

Brain Freeze on Mt. Otis

In the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, a granite spindle called Zowie protrudes from the convoluted south face of Mt. Otis. Just to Zowie’s left is a zigzagging chimney and gully system that holds an unlikely mixed-climbing gem. Brain Freeze was discovered very recently (early 2008) by Andy Grauch and Chris Sheridan. Several parties [...]

Lake Agnes–Seven Utes Loop

February 19, 2010

Lake Agnes–Seven Utes Loop

Kevin Landolt is a skier/climber/student, based in Fort Collins, who writes the fun Alpine Ambition blog for the Mountain Shop. Here, Kevin describes a favorite midwinter ski tour near Cameron Pass offering a little of everything.
Trailhead: Lake Agnes Road, 2.5 miles west of Cameron Pass
Tour Distance: 7.3 miles
Total Vert: ca. 2,900′
Season: Midwinter to spring; two [...]

Mr. and Mrs. Mesa

January 28, 2010

Mr. and Mrs. Mesa

Two of the wildest and most difficult water-ice pitches in the state are in plain view from Highway 50, en route to Ouray and Telluride from points north, plunging down the sheer face of Grand Mesa. Yet few people notice them, and far fewer have climbed them. The routes are tough, to be sure, but [...]

East Ridge of Mt. Bancroft

December 28, 2009

East Ridge of Mt. Bancroft

Mt. Bancroft’s rocky east ridge is a terrific mountaineering adventure for Front Range climbers, beginning less than an hour from Denver. The 13,250-foot peak is relatively close to the road, and avalanche danger can be easily managed, making this perhaps the most accessible technical winter summit on the entire Front Range. The east ridge offers [...]

Wild

Rarities: Wolf Moon, Arapaho Peaks

February 5, 2010

Rarities: Wolf Moon, Arapaho Peaks

Photographer James Beissel sent us this fantastic dawn-patrol shot of the full moon setting over South and North Arapaho in the Indian Peaks, shot from Flagstaff Mountain. Said Beissel: ”The first full moon of the New Year is often called the Wolf Moon. The name comes from Native American culture, in which it was associated with [...]

New Deal for Great Sand Dunes

January 20, 2010

New Deal for Great Sand Dunes

By Bob Berwyn
Stakeholders in the San Luis Valley have taken a giant step toward protecting Great Sand Dunes National Park from mining, energy development, and water exports. Lexam Explorations has agreed to sell its mineral rights if a $9.7 million deal can be finalized by May.
Great Sand Dunes National Park was created by Congress [...]

Supported By…